Damane
Chapter 1
Disclaimer-see prologue
"You'll listen then?"
"Yes." Soft blue eyes glittered uncharacteristically cold at that moment. They needed to do something and could not stand doing nothing.
"A long time ago, a lot of people could control magic, it was thought that every person could control a little bit of it." Zel made sure he kept things simple, he needed to explain this in as little time as possible, "and around that time, empires founded by powerful mages sprang up.
"There came a time when Elmekia, then called Ilmandia, had no heir apparent; the son of the mage Abriam, the current emporer at the time, was born with no magic whatsoever. He was born, however, speaking an odd language only few in the entire continent knew of. It was a strange gift in itself because the people who spoke it could understand both our language and theirs. They mostly spoke their own though.
"Anyway, he was ruthless, but being shunned by everyone in the known world can do that," Zel spat in the fire, "and only those who could understand him got anywhere near him. Often he'd beat them and abuse them, but they were his servants and swore fealty to none but him.
"One day, one of his servants approached him, holding a silver collar secured to a slender cord, attached to a small bracelet of the same silver metal. They seemed flexible, but all one piece of metal. The prince's curiosity peeked and demanded what it was for, he answer was that this was how he would be able to control magic. The servant clasped the bracelet on his wrist and the collar on her own neck confidently. But when it did nothing her master could see, he became angry and commanded her to make it work, only to find her writhing, near death, on the floor.
"He commanded to know what happened, and when the pain stopped, the servant explained that the wearer of the braceclet or 'suldam' commanded the 'adam' or collared one. Severe pain would come if the suldam was disobeyed and if the suldam was hurt, the adam felt it ten times over while recieving the marks while the suldam escaped apparently unharmed.
"The servant evidentally expected to be set free after her explaination since she put it on herself, for magic cannot open them, at least not by the wearer of the collar. But the prince had other ideas. He commanded that more be made, never letting her go. He was disappointed when he found that the metal used to create them came from an island across the sea. The servants began to gather more followers and command armies by the intoxicating charm that their language produced. People to be leashed, voluntarily and non, were collected as well. All magic users. Ships were built and half of the continent departed.
The magic barrier was set after they left, but not before recieving the promise that they would return and claim the land again, no doubt outlawing magic except for the damane...the leashed ones. No one believed they'd return, especially afte rthe magical barrier went up. Now, I'm afraid they really ARE here."
Zelgadiss jumped suddenly when he heard a loud crack and Gourry's angry grunt, a wooden log, snapped in half, fell from the pile of firewood at a side of their camp, "Wha-"
"My ancestors Zel! They did this to Lina, she can't survive being conrolled! She's not meant to be, why her? I didn't see anyone else being leashed and I KNOW there were other magic users there, fires vanished in the blink of an eye and people with capes all over!"
"My guess is, they didn't come planning to take women. Gourry, I don't know how much you're going to want to hear this, but the first damane, Iolata was the prince's lover. She was a small woman with red hair and eyes, not Elmekian born."
Gourry practically fell backwards, "Is he still alive?"
"I don't know, that's why we have to be careful." Zelgadiss sat mesmerized by the fire.
"Lina." Gourry whisper to the wind.
Chapter 1
Disclaimer-see prologue
"You'll listen then?"
"Yes." Soft blue eyes glittered uncharacteristically cold at that moment. They needed to do something and could not stand doing nothing.
"A long time ago, a lot of people could control magic, it was thought that every person could control a little bit of it." Zel made sure he kept things simple, he needed to explain this in as little time as possible, "and around that time, empires founded by powerful mages sprang up.
"There came a time when Elmekia, then called Ilmandia, had no heir apparent; the son of the mage Abriam, the current emporer at the time, was born with no magic whatsoever. He was born, however, speaking an odd language only few in the entire continent knew of. It was a strange gift in itself because the people who spoke it could understand both our language and theirs. They mostly spoke their own though.
"Anyway, he was ruthless, but being shunned by everyone in the known world can do that," Zel spat in the fire, "and only those who could understand him got anywhere near him. Often he'd beat them and abuse them, but they were his servants and swore fealty to none but him.
"One day, one of his servants approached him, holding a silver collar secured to a slender cord, attached to a small bracelet of the same silver metal. They seemed flexible, but all one piece of metal. The prince's curiosity peeked and demanded what it was for, he answer was that this was how he would be able to control magic. The servant clasped the bracelet on his wrist and the collar on her own neck confidently. But when it did nothing her master could see, he became angry and commanded her to make it work, only to find her writhing, near death, on the floor.
"He commanded to know what happened, and when the pain stopped, the servant explained that the wearer of the braceclet or 'suldam' commanded the 'adam' or collared one. Severe pain would come if the suldam was disobeyed and if the suldam was hurt, the adam felt it ten times over while recieving the marks while the suldam escaped apparently unharmed.
"The servant evidentally expected to be set free after her explaination since she put it on herself, for magic cannot open them, at least not by the wearer of the collar. But the prince had other ideas. He commanded that more be made, never letting her go. He was disappointed when he found that the metal used to create them came from an island across the sea. The servants began to gather more followers and command armies by the intoxicating charm that their language produced. People to be leashed, voluntarily and non, were collected as well. All magic users. Ships were built and half of the continent departed.
The magic barrier was set after they left, but not before recieving the promise that they would return and claim the land again, no doubt outlawing magic except for the damane...the leashed ones. No one believed they'd return, especially afte rthe magical barrier went up. Now, I'm afraid they really ARE here."
Zelgadiss jumped suddenly when he heard a loud crack and Gourry's angry grunt, a wooden log, snapped in half, fell from the pile of firewood at a side of their camp, "Wha-"
"My ancestors Zel! They did this to Lina, she can't survive being conrolled! She's not meant to be, why her? I didn't see anyone else being leashed and I KNOW there were other magic users there, fires vanished in the blink of an eye and people with capes all over!"
"My guess is, they didn't come planning to take women. Gourry, I don't know how much you're going to want to hear this, but the first damane, Iolata was the prince's lover. She was a small woman with red hair and eyes, not Elmekian born."
Gourry practically fell backwards, "Is he still alive?"
"I don't know, that's why we have to be careful." Zelgadiss sat mesmerized by the fire.
"Lina." Gourry whisper to the wind.